On Sunday, May 20, 2018 at about 4:15 a.m., police responded to a report of a house fire on the Southside of Hopkins Village. Upon arrival at the scene, they observed a 2-storey wooden structure engulfed in flames. The building housed four apartments, all of which were completely destroyed by the time the fire was put out by fire personnel. After the scene was inspected, police found what appeared to be the charred remains of a human body under debris from the fire. The charred remains were transported to Southern Regional Hospital morgue where it now awaits a post mortem examination.

Police investigations into the matter reveal that all persons renting the apartments were accounted for except for George Magaña. While a medical examination is required for confirmation, Magaña remains missing and the charred remains are suspected to be his.

It is understood that prior to the fire, Magaña was in the company of someone with whom he became involved in an altercation. After investigations into this incident, 21-year-old Darron Gonzalez was charged with the crimes of murder and arson. He was arraigned on those charges on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, in the Dangriga Magistrate’s Court. Gonzalez was remanded until July 25, 2018.